How To: Make Flavored Sugars using Extracts
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Making your own flavored sugars is as easy as heading for your spice cupboard! Using extracts you already have on hand, you can flavor them any way you like! Stir into your tea or coffee, dust cookies or desserts, sprinkle over fruit – let your imagination run wild!
Have you ever flavored sugar? It’s so easy, and you can use extracts you already have, which makes it a super cost-effective way to change things up in the kitchen!
Can you Flavor Sugar with Extract?
Yes! It’s so easy to do. So easy that I almost didn’t post this! Why?
Well, sometimes when I share “how to” posts I wonder if my readers think “Jeez, everyone knows that!” Turns out when I do these posts, a lot of times, people say “I never thought of that!” I mean, at some point I felt that same way myself, right?
Flavored Sugar is Perfect for Baking
I was recently making some Pie Crust Cookies and didn’t want to dust them with cinnamon and sugar. I was using some of them to top a berry dessert, and the spice really didn’t go with it. Sure, if I were pairing it with apples, or pears or peaches, I would have gone for it, but this needed something different. So, I started experimenting.
Is flavoring the same as infusing when it comes to sugar?
In a word, no. Infusing sugar would be using things like vanilla beans, coffee beans, rose petals, herbs, etc. Infusing items like this, albeit a great method, takes time. Even up to a couple of weeks, and the flavor you have will be more subtle. Especially if you plan to take whatever you infused with from the jar.
Using extract, you have your flavored sugars quickly, and controlling the amount of flavoring is easily adjustable.
How do you add flavor to Sugar?
Adding flavor to granulated sugars is as easy as reaching into your spice cupboard or pantry. What flavor do you want to make? What are you using it for?
Above you will see just some of the flavorings that I had on hand. Some are more of a liquid, some a paste. The tiny bottle of bubblegum extract that I use in my bubblegum cupcakes, that one is really concentrated and doesn’t take as much. You just need to play around with them.
How to Make Flavored Sugar
GATHER YOUR INGREDIENTS
All you will need is granulated sugar and whichever extract you are using.
ADD EXTRACT
Add extracts to your sugar. Start with what I suggest in the recipe card below, and add more if you feel it isn’t strong enough to your liking.
COMBINE
Using a fork or a small whisk, combine the sugar and the extract. Now, if you plan to store it, you’ll need to make sure the moisture is out, if you want to bake with it immediately, go ahead and use it right now!
To Dry the Sugar, you can leave it in the bowls and on your counter for the afternoon and stir it occasionally. Spreading it out on a plate makes the process go faster. Once the sugar is dried, place it in a baggie and use a rolling pin to roll out any lumps, and you have fine flavored sugar!
Store it in a plastic zippered bag or an airtight container. Use within a year.
Love it? Pin it!
Don’t forget where you found this helpful tip on flavoring your own sugar with extract! Pin it to your favorite Pinterest board before you go!
The lavender flavored sugar would be fantastic in a cup of tea or sprinkled on shortbread cookies. You could certainly add some dried lavender to it, and it would make a lovely gift, too!
The bubblegum flavored sugar was super fun to dust sugar cookies with! The kids loved them!
The vanilla-flavored sugar is easy to use in so many things, top cookies, muffins or quick bread, stir into coffee or tea, you name it!
Recipes and Ways to Use Flavored Sugar
There are all sorts of ways to use this flavored sugar! Here are a few options:
- Old Fashioned Spritz Cookies
- Cranberry Orange Muffins
- Applesauce Quick Bread
- Orange Mocha Latte
- Fruit Salad
Can you Flavor Powdered Sugar?
Using an extract with powdered sugar wouldn’t work well. The consistency would be rather gooey, I am afraid. Now, if you want to make your own powdered sugar, that would work, as you would flavor your granulated sugar prior to mixing with the cornstarch in a high-power blender to make your own powdered sugar.
Of course, if you are just wanting to flavor your powdered sugar to use in frosting or glaze, just flavor the icing however you like.
While we are on the topic of sugar, have you ever made homemade sugar scrub? It makes wonderful gifts!
“How To” by An Affair from the Heart
If you love these how-to posts I have been doing, make sure that you check out the whole collection! I have an entire “How To” Section on my website where you will learn all sorts of things. Here are just a few:
- How To Blind Bake a Pie Crust (pictured above)
- Make Your Own Bisquick
- How to Make a Buttermilk Substitute
- How to Make Chocolate Ganache
- Homemade Taco Seasoning
- How to Make an Easter Basket Cake
Let’s flavor some sugar!! 
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How To: Make Flavored Sugars Using Extracts
Ingredients
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 teaspoon of extract your flavor choice
Instructions
- Add sugar to a small bowl. Add in the extract of your choice.
- Mix with a fork or small whisk until combined.
- Allow to dry and mix again. Roll lumps out with a rolling pin.
- Once the moisture is removed, store it in an airtight container for up to a year.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted on June 17, 2014. It has been updated to improve user experience and reshared on March 22, 2022.
Love this! Thank you for sharing 🙂
I never would have thought of this. So easy and I bet it is so yummy! <3
I had to check out this concept. Novel for me and a great idea for dusting cookies.
Peter, That makes me feel good, you are a marvelous cook/baker!
That is such a great idea!
This is a great idea! I would not have thought of this. 🙂
Lovely! I’ve made flavored sugars and salts, but never with extracts. I’ll have to give it a go! Love it!
I’ll have to try this!
Well gosh why didn’t I think of that? How simple but so clever!
This is exactly what I was looking for! Will be using this to make white cotton candy sugar for Halloween. Just needed the know how to flavor the sugar. ?
That is awesome!! I would love to see what you make!
Have you tried turning the flavored sugar into powdered sugar?
I haven’t?? If you try it, let me know?
Do you know how to properly store this and what the shelf life of this would be?
I typically only make what I need – but I would assume if you have it in an airtight jar it would last for quite some time!
This is a good idea! I never really made my own flavored sugars as I barely bake but now I know! Will be using this for some sugar cookies.
Ah, this is such a useful skills to master. Definitely need to try your way of making the sugars!
Wow, I didn’t know it is so easy to make flavoured sugar. I’d love to try lavender sugar.
This is such a great idea! I am loving all the different ways you can flavor sugars. 🙂
This is great info! Never thought to flavor sugar this way. Can’t wait to do this and bake!
I didn’t know making flavored sugar was so simple! Can’t wait to try it! Great post!
I am so glad I found this post! I had never thought of this idea; it’s genius! Excited to give these a try!
Would this be good as a sprinkle coating on mini donuts?
For sure!! You could make them in any flavor that you like!
Hi! What is the best way to make flavored Kahlua sugar when I don’t have and can’t find Kahula extract?
Hi Lori! I make it with Kahlua itself! I use Kahlua sugar in my Kahlua Crinkle Cookies recipe:https://anaffairfromtheheart.com/kahlua-crinkles/